At least a dozen soldiers have been killed in an attack by militants linked to Al Qaeda in northern Burkina Faso, according to security and local sources who spoke to AFP on Tuesday.
The assault took place on February 28 in the strategic town of Titao. A regional security source said the troops were digging trenches around the town to strengthen its defences when the attack occurred.
“There are more than a dozen dead,” the source said. A second security source confirmed the incident, describing it as having caused “significant damage”. A local resident reported hearing gunfire from Saturday through Monday in areas surrounding Titao, adding that the attackers appeared to be targeting the army rather than civilians.
A militant group affiliated with Al Qaeda later claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that 30 Burkinabe soldiers had been killed. The violence follows an earlier assault on the town in mid-February in which several civilians lost their lives, underscoring the continued insecurity in parts of northern Burkina Faso.